David Savard may never score a flukier goal than he one he got credit for in the third period of the Springfield Falcons’ tilt with the Portland Pirates Friday night.

Paul Dainton may never turn in a more energetic performance in the Falcons net, either.

Both went a long way toward giving the Falcons a 3-2 triumph before 4,715 at the Cumberland County Civic Center.

Savard’s dump-in from the blue line hopped off a Pirates defenseman and past goalie Justin Pogge at 12:20 of the final stanza and held up as the tying goal.

But it was Dainton’s 29-save performance, many bordering on the miraculous, that saved the day for the Birds.

“He (Dainton) is a great goalie,” said Savard. “And he made some unbelievable saves. He gave us a chance to win this game. He stole that game for us.”

“It was really great for Paulie to come through like that for us,” said Springfield coach Rob Riley. “He’s got a quiet confidence with a smile on his face. And that rubs off on people. He believes we’re going to win, and I think it’s contagious.”

Dainton, the former UMass standout who was recalled from the ECHL this week, backboned Springfield’s 4-2 win at Worcester on Wednesday, then answered the call again against the Pirates.

“I was feeling good,” he said. “It’s one of those things you prepare for, because you know it’s possibly going to happen.”

Springfield led 1-0 after the first period and 2-1 after two, with both goals coming on the power play.

Rookie Cam Atkinson gave the visitors their first lead with his 24th goal of the year at 9:44.

Atkinson, who moments before had been stopped by Pogge at close range, lurked near the crease and tipped in Brent Regner’s blast from the blue line.

Portland replied at 5:51 of the second when Dainton’s lunging poke check landed on the stick of Cal O’Reilly, who whisked the puck into the wide-open net.

“It was one of those hockey bounces that could have gone either way,” said Dainton.

The Falcons regained the lead at 9:45 when defenseman Dalton Prout blasted home his third goal from the blue line through a screen.

Dainton, who saw just four shots in the first period, was much busier in the second, when he made 12 stops.

His biggest save came at 17:41, when he stoned Portland’s Alexandre Bolduc on a breakaway with Falcons defenseman Theo Ruth in pursuit.

“When the guy is coming down you just want to stay in position and let him make the first move,” Dainton said.

The Springfield goalie added two eye-popping stops early in the third period, on Ethan Werek and Jordan Szwarz, both from point-blank range, before giving up the tying goal to Michael Stone at 6:10.

Dainton turned away everything after that and bought the Falcons time to score the game-winner, which came as Savard tried to hit Tomas Kubalik as he charged the net.